Busch Grabs Elusive Indy Victory as Comeback Continues

“Geez, I guess Kyle’s back“, Daytona 500 victor Logano said.

Steve Torrence raced to his first Top Fuel victory in more than two years, beating Tony Schumacher in the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. On Sunday, it was Busch along with the rest of the No. 18 team, his family and Joe Gibbs that bent over to kiss the bricks.

His latest taste of success came Sunday at the Brickyard 400, making it the third straight victory for him, his fourth in the last five races out of nine races run since his return. Busch pounced, taking advantage of the mistake and passing Blaney on the backstretch of the 100th and final lap to win by. “That’s pretty awesome for us to be able to do that”.

Since Bill Elliott won in a Dodge in 2002, this is the first time a non-Chevrolet driver won the race. Prior to last weekend’s race at New Hampshire, Edwards had not scored a pole in NASCAR’s premier series since November 2013 at Texas, driving for Roush Fenway Racing at time. Busch also gave Toyota its first victory in a Sprint Cup event at Indianapolis.

“Once we’ve been back, I felt like I just continued right on my stride”, Busch said. It was his 41st career win – moving him level with Brazilian great Ayrton Senna – and his first since the Malaysian GP in the second race of this season. After Sunday’s race, Busch sits 32nd, 23 points out of breaking into the Top 30. Still outside the top-30 in points which would guarantee a spot in the end of year Chase, Busch has won four of the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. He missed the first eleven races of the season. Busch led the pack to start the green-white-checkered finish, just the second in race history and the first in 11 years, he choose an inside line and held on the final two laps.

Today, Busch found himself just behind Harvick with 15 laps to go, and with the high-downforce package being tested today not exactly being kind to trailing cars fighting for the race lead, it seemed he would need a mistake from the Stewart-Haas driver to get to the front. Busch now has tied Jimmie Johnson for the most wins in 2015, claiming a total of four victories. Without a win this season, Gordon is in jeopardy of missing the Chase and can ill-afford another day like Sunday. The manufacturer also won the Indianapolis 500 in May with Roger Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

“That’s exactly what I needed”, he said.

“Please forgive us that we have a sentimental favorite we’d like to win”, IMS president Doug Boles told drivers.

“Second always hurts, but it is nice to be up toward the front, especially here (at Indianapolis)”, Logano said.

The Xfinity Series heads to Iowa next weekend for the US Cellular 250 on Saturday, August 1. “But there are no trophies for second”.

Other notable drivers and their starting positions include: Martin Truex Jr. Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski completed the top-10. Gordon, who has a record five victories at Indianapolis, finished 42nd. Trevor Bayne, meanwhile, struggled mightily, and after running around 35th in a Roush auto that just last year won races with Carl Edwards all race, wrecked near the end of the race to bring out the final yellow flag.